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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28604760">Baby Steps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WheelsUpIn_Five/pseuds/WheelsUpIn_Five'>WheelsUpIn_Five</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Holding Hands, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Human!Castiel - Freeform, M/M, unoffically getting together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:14:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>565</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28604760</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WheelsUpIn_Five/pseuds/WheelsUpIn_Five</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean works up the courage to hold Cas' hand.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Baby Steps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27695381">Milestone</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie/pseuds/ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie">ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A Russian translation can be found <a href="https://ficbook.net/readfic/10286254/26467617">Here</a> :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dean drummed his fingers against his thigh, his eyes trained on where Cas’ hands sat on the table. Somewhere in the background he was distantly aware of Sam talking to them lowly across the table, against the unsettling silence of the no name diner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dragged his eyes away from them, rolling his shoulders in a poor attempt to ease the dull ache that had settled in his muscles. It didn’t help that the adrenaline had started to wear off, allowing the heaviness to set into his bones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas could feel it too, his posture forced and stiff. As much as he liked to pretend he was well adjusted, Dean could tell he was still struggling with the loss of his grace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean would give anything to rub his back and soothe the pain, but how was he supposed to do that when he couldn’t even work up the courage to hold his hand?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was pathetic really, he wasn’t in high school. He was a forty year old man. He wasn’t supposed to crave the feeling of Cas’ palm against his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even know if Cas still liked him. Did being human change that? What if he changed his mind? Did he wait too long? What if he didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> holding hands? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas read the menu again as Dean traced over the line of his nose and soft curve of his lips with his eyes. A smudge of dirt partially covered a bruise that had started to form on his jaw. Dean pushed back the urge to smooth his thumb over it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shifted, clearing his throat as he looked down at his own laminated menu, raising it to cover his eyes. Dean’s gaze fell back to the table where Cas’ fingers were tracing the edge of the flimsy plastic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would be easy to reach over and take Cas’ hand. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be easy, but the very thought of it made his heart beat hard enough that he might have well been back in the forest. There suddenly wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. Baby steps, he told himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed thickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baby steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His fingers twitched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rested his hand on the table next to Cas’, their fingers touching, before nudging his hand. From the corner of his eye Cas tilted his head in question, lifting his hand slightly, giving Dean enough space to slide his own under it, and lace their fingers together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas gently squeezed Dean’s hand, a small smile on his lips as he gazed into him. Dean ducked his head, heat rising in his cheeks. He couldn’t stop his smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was holding Castiel’s hand.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was everything he thought it would be and more. Warm and gentle, the callouses left from the angel blade rough against his palm, but comforting because it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cas</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His hands were safe. They were made for holding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The buzz of Cas’ skin and the weight of his palm kept Dean at ease. They were okay and nothing else seemed to matter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The perfect end to their last hunt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stole another glance back at Cas who still hadn’t taken his eyes off him, searching for something deep below the surface. Dean didn’t know what he was seeing, but he hoped he could understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam cleared his throat again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So have you guys decided what you want to order yet?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading, I hope you're all doing well!</p><p>If you want to leave kudos and/or a comment I'll be forever grateful (constructive criticism welcomed!)</p><p>Tumblr: wheelsupin-five (come say hi! my dms/inbox are always open)</p><p>(And think you again Emily!!)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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